NHTSA Complaint #10404186 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

2004 DODGE DURANGO HEMI FATAL ENGINE FLAW. ON SUNDAY APRIL 17TH 2011, I WENT OUT TO START UP MY CAR AND THE MOST HORRIBLE BANGING, CLANKING NOISES CAME FROM THE ENGINE, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE STATED THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK AND THE CAR WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE.THIS ENGINE WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND HAD ONLY 76,400 MILES ON IT. I HAD THE 7/70000 WARRANTY. I FILED A CASE WITH DODGE AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER. "[XXX]" HAD ME GET THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY DODGE DEALER (AT MY EXPENSE). THEN AGAIN AT MY EXPENSE THE DEALER WANTED AN HOUR OF SERVICE TO "INSPECT THE ENGINE." ($105) TWO DAYS LATER THE DEALER CALLED SAYING THE DISTRICT MANAGER OF WANTED THEM TO INSPECT THE "BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE" AND AUTHORIZE ANOTHER 2HRS OF LABOR. THE INITIAL "ENGINE INSPECTION" WAS APPARENTLY ONLY THE "TOP OF THE ENGINE" WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE CLEAN WITH NO SLUDGE OR SIGNS OF NEGLECT. I STILL HAD NO ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS ENGINE SELF DESTRUCTED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DODGE REFUSED TO GIVE ME MORE THAN $1500 SINCE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND A NEW "REMAINED" ENGINE WOULD BE $7900!! I DECIDED TO SELL THE CAR FOR SCRAP, DODGE DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, A WELL MAINTAINED ENGINE OF A$ 40,000 VEHICLE SHOULD NOT SELF DESTRUCT JUST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY AND THE OWNER SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. I WAS OUT OVER $300 AND FOUGHT WITH DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR OVER 3WEEKS. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE ENGINE FLAW HAPPENED THE WHEELS MAY HAVE LOCKED UP AND THE CAR COULD HAVE ROLLED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON THIS SIGHT. DODGE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SUCH POOR WORKMANSHIP! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR